The Santa Monica College Foundation is please to
announce that it has awarded a total of $34,000 in nine “Margin
of Excellence” mini-grants to professors for equipment ranging from
sophisticated astronomical devices to “green screen” technology
used in film post-production.

The SMC Foundation, through its
President’s Circle, earlier this year said it would launch the new
program that allows full-time professors and program directors to get
grants of up to $5,000 for equipment, supplies, instructional materials,
seminars and more.

“These awards are not only
a vote of confidence in the incredible work that our professors do, they
provide funds for equipment that will make a major difference in the learning
experience of our students,” said JoAnn
Ortiz, Foundation executive director.

The grants committee was made up
of Ortiz, along with the college’s chief financial officer, Foundation
directors and members of the President’s Circle.

The awardees were:

• For SMC’s Academy of Entertainment & Technology, green
screen technology, a standard post-production tool that allows filmmakers
to insert a desired background after an image or action has been captured.

• For marine biology students,
digital cameras with underwater capabilities and other accessories.

• For dance students, a
conga drum set.

• For communications students,
two television sets with VCR/DVD players, along with DVD and VHS tapes
for the department’s video library.

• For the SMC student newspaper
Corsair, equipment and software for production.

• For science students,
museum-style glass display cases in the Science Complex that would contain
biological exhibits, including specimens loaned from museums, with flat-screen
monitors and computers for interactive features.

• For astronomy students,
an ozonometer that will allow students to determine atmospheric ozone
amounts and more.